Overview

Respected authorities on today's rapidly changing reference landscape Marie L. Radford and R. David Lankes have brought together a pioneering collection that delivers creative, proven guidance to LIS professionals in public, academic, and special libraries and information centers.

Featured Review

"This book makes a significant and original contribution to the study of reference work by honestly assessing the current state of reference (Part I: The State of Reference Services: An Overview), surveying the latest research findings (Part II: What Research Tells Us about Reference), and gathering reports about contemporary reference work from a spectrum of libraries (Part III: Reference in Action: Reports from the Field)...The strengths of this book lie in its timeliness and the breadth of its scope."

Reference and User Services Quarterly, Fall 2010Read More....In addition to featuring current research trends and philosophical approaches to reference, the editors present a wide-range of exciting new reports from the field. Reports include the practical information you need to replicate these groundbreaking programs in your library, and includes the institutional context, a detailed description of the initiative, best practices, an assessment of results, a bibliography of cited references, and websites on similar efforts. You will learn about all modes of virtual reference, re-invented face-to-face services, novel mobile services, and how to apply text messaging, Facebook, and other social-networking tools to reference service.

A few of the forward-looking reports include:

• Giving Users Options for Chat Reference• You Bought It, Now Sell It: Creating a Reference Renaissance in the Public Library by Marketing Collections and Services• Stayin' Alive in the Google Age: Adding Custom Search Engines for Better Internet Research

Reference Renaissance provides an exciting array of outstanding reference endeavors that will help you to leverage staff resources and discover new ways to fully meet your users' diverse needs.

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

These 22 essays are all based on (and updated from) presentations given at the August 2008 Reference Renaissance Conference by 38 international scholars. Separated into three parts, the work begins with an overview of the state of reference services. The next part is dedicated to what research tells us about reference—virtual reference; approaches, values, and philosophy of reference service; and innovative service models. The last part covers reference in action with reports from the field, sorted into four subsections: virtual reference, search engines and tools, innovative service models and marketing, and staff development and training. Containing images, tables, and charts, this work reads as any conference proceedings might read when the full presentations are included. VERDICT Exploring the growth and changing nature of reference—and technologies and methods by which to provide reference—this volume will benefit any librarian or future librarian seeking information on changes in reference services, both current and projected.—Sara Rofofsky Marcus, Queensborough Community Coll. Lib., Bayside, NY